In Magic: The Gathering, land types play a fundamental role in shaping how decks operate, and among them, ‘Island’ stands out for its importance to blue mana. However, some nonbasic lands are treated as Islands, either natively or through interactions, allowing them to be tapped for blue mana and affected by cards that reference Islands. This opens the door to interesting synergies, clever deckbuilding, and sometimes unexpected tactics. When nonbasic lands are Islands, they enable powerful combinations and enhance consistency in blue-heavy strategies while still providing flexibility not offered by basic lands alone.
What Does It Mean for a Nonbasic Land to Be an Island?
Subtype Matters
In MTG, ‘Island’ is a basic land type, not just the name of a card. If a land has the subtype ‘Island,’ it can tap for blue mana without needing a separate ability. Some nonbasic lands include this subtype, making them count as Islands even though they aren’t basic lands. This interaction becomes critical with cards that care about land types, likeHigh TideorMystic Sanctuary.
Rules Interactions
A nonbasic land that has the Island subtype interacts with the game as though it were a basic Island, with a few exceptions. It can:
- Be fetched by cards likeFlooded StrandorFabled Passage.
- Benefit from effects likeHigh Tidethat target Islands.
- Be affected by land-type-based hate likeChokeorBack to Basics.
Notable Nonbasic Lands That Are Islands
Dual Lands
- Volcanic Island Counts as both an Island and a Mountain, producing either blue or red mana. A staple in Legacy and Commander formats for its perfect fixing and subtype synergy.
- Tropical Island Another iconic dual land that counts as both an Island and a Forest, fitting well in Simic and Bant shells.
These original dual lands are considered both of their respective basic land types, allowing for seamless interactions with fetch lands and land-type effects. Despite being nonbasic, they can be fetched by a card likeMisty Rainforestthanks to the ‘Island’ subtype.
Shock Lands
- Hallowed Fountain Counts as a Plains and an Island, commonly used in Azorius decks.
- Steam Vents Both an Island and a Mountain, essential in Izzet strategies.
- Breeding Pool An Island and a Forest, great in blue-green decks focusing on ramp and draw.
Shock lands like these are incredibly flexible. Because they count as Islands, they can be fetched and interact with other cards just like basic Islands do. Their added ability to enter untapped at a cost provides tactical options in fast-paced games.
Triomes and Other Multitype Lands
- Raugrin Triome Island, Mountain, and Plains; cycling land with high versatility in Jeskai decks.
- Indatha Triome Includes the Island subtype if part of a deck with blue splash.
Triomes are especially powerful in Commander and multicolor formats. Since they count as three basic land types, they support a wide range of fetch effects and mana fixing. Their Island subtype continues to matter in blue-centric builds.
Zendikar Duals and Pathways
While Pathway lands don’t have land types, some other lands from Zendikar Rising and similar sets do.
- Prairie Stream Counts as an Island and a Plains if the condition is met. Enters untapped if you control two or more basics.
- Sunken Hollow Island and Swamp; a useful include in Dimir or Grixis decks.
Benefits of Using Nonbasic Lands with Island Subtype
Fetchable with Blue-Based Fetch Lands
Cards likePolluted Delta,Misty Rainforest, andFlooded Strandcan all search for nonbasic lands that count as Islands. This helps ensure smoother mana development and early-game tempo.
High Tide and Other Island Effects
Cards likeHigh Tidedouble the mana produced by Islands. If your nonbasic lands count as Islands, they benefit as well. This allows players to create massive mana swings using just a few cards.
Synergy with Islandwalk
Some creatures haveislandwalk, making them unblockable if the opponent controls an Island. By forcing opponents to play lands like shock lands or duals that count as Islands, your creatures can slip through defenses with ease.
Interaction with Landfall and Land-Based Recursion
Cards likeMystic Sanctuaryrequire an Island to enter the battlefield untapped and trigger powerful effects. Including multiple Island subtyped lands increases the consistency of meeting these conditions.
Potential Drawbacks and Risks
Susceptibility to Island-Hate
Cards likeChokecan heavily punish decks reliant on Islands. Even if your lands are nonbasic, as long as they have the Island subtype, they’ll be tapped by these effects. This creates a deckbuilding challenge when facing metas that include land-type hate.
Vulnerable to Nonbasic Land Hate
Despite being Islands, these lands are still nonbasic. That means they can be targeted by spells likeWasteland,Ghost Quarter, orBlood Moon, which either destroy or transform them into useless lands. Running too many of these without basic backups could lead to a fragile mana base.
Using Yavimaya and Urborg with Island Lands
Combining Land Type Effects
With cards likeYavimaya, Cradle of GrowthorUrborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, it’s possible to give all lands additional types like Forest or Swamp. Unfortunately, there isn’t currently a land that gives all lands the Island subtype, but if such a card existed, it would open up massive synergy with Island-dependent strategies. Still, combining Island lands with these cards can expand color access and ramp efficiency.
Commander Strategies and Blue Identity
Multicolor Blue-Heavy Commanders
Many popular Commander decks use blue in combination with other colors. Commanders likeUrza, Lord High Artificer,Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait, andAtraxa, Grand Unifierall benefit from consistent blue mana production. Nonbasic Island lands enable this without sacrificing color flexibility.
Mono-Blue Land Count Optimization
In mono-blue decks, using only basic Islands can limit utility. Including cards likeMystic Sanctuary,Minamo, School at Water’s Edge, or Island duals enhances performance without compromising the color base.
Budget Options for Nonbasic Islands
Affordable Choices
- Jwar Isle Refuge Enters tapped, but offers life gain and blue mana for budget decks.
- Choked Estuary Functions similarly to a dual land, providing both blue and black mana under the right conditions.
- Submerged Boneyard A slower option, but provides consistent blue-black mana for Dimir builds.
While original duals and shock lands are ideal, budget players still have access to nonbasic lands that support blue mana and sometimes qualify as Islands through card interactions.
Nonbasic lands that are Islands offer strategic advantages that go far beyond basic mana production. They provide consistency, flexibility, and synergy across many formats and deck archetypes. Whether you’re building a blue-heavy Commander deck, crafting a Legacy control strategy, or optimizing a budget-friendly brew, understanding and using nonbasic lands with the Island subtype can significantly elevate your gameplay. From fetch land compatibility to High Tide combos, these lands are more than just blue mana sourcesâthey’re integral components of smart, competitive deckbuilding in Magic: The Gathering.
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